The Chicago Bears will battle the San Francisco 49ers on the road in prime time in Week 17, where there’s plenty at stake for both teams in the NFC playoff race.

The Bears, fresh off their improbable comeback win over the Green Bay Packers in overtime, are one win (or Packers loss) away from clinching their first NFC North title since 2018. They’re also one of four teams still in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. If Chicago is going to pull off this road win, they’re going to need a strong showing from their defense to contain the 49ers’ red-hot offense that hasn’t punted since late November.

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Here’s a look at three keys for the Bears defense as they battle the 49ers on Sunday Night Football:

Contain Christian McCaffrey

The Bears run defense is one of the team’s biggest weaknesses as they’re allowing an average 131 yards per game. It doesn’t help that they’ll have to contend with one of the league’s most dangerous playmakers in Christian McCaffrey, who leads the NFL with 372 touches this season. He’s rushed for 1,039 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 3.71 yards per carry. But it’s not just the run game where they’ll need to contain him. McCaffrey is a dual-threat out of the backfield and leads running backs with 92 catches for 849 yards and seven touchdowns. If Chicago can slow down McCaffrey, it would put the onus on Brock Purdy to beat them through the air.

Get pressure on Brock Purdy

The Bears cannot allow 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy time to sit back in the pocket and shred their secondary with Jauan Jennings and George Kittle (assuming he plays). They’re going to need to generate a pass rush, and this is the kind of game where defensive end Montez Sweat really needs to make his presence known. Sweat has had a nice bounce-back season where he leads Chicago with 9.5 sacks this season, and he’s close to his second double-digit sack season with the Bears. San Francisco is allowing just 23 sacks this season, tied with Chicago for the fifth-fewest while the Bears have totaled just 31 sacks on the season (22nd). If Chicago can disrupt Purdy in the pocket, it could also lead to mistakes that the defense has been known to capitalize on.

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Force turnovers

Chicago’s defense has been at its best when they’re forcing turnovers and giving their offense an opportunity to capitalize. The Bears lead the NFL with 31 takeaways, including a league-best 21 interceptions, and they have led the NFL in those categories for most of the season. Chicago is 9-0 when they force multiple turnovers and 2-4 with one or none. They also have a pair of defensive backs who are the NFL’s best taking the ball away with safety Kevin Byard leading the league with six interceptions and cornerback Nahshon Wright leading the NFL with eight total takeaways. The 49ers have 20 turnovers this season, which ranks among the middle of the pack, so there should be opportunities. If the Bears can force an early turnover, that could lead to multiple and put them in the position they want to be in.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. 49ers: 3 keys for Chicago’s defense in Week 17